1 307 143 AN EVALUATION OF YOGA AND MEDITATION TO IMPROVE ATTENTION, HYPERACTIVITY, AND STRESS IN HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS. OBJECTIVE: PROBLEMS WITH ATTENTION AND STRESS ARE COMMON IN CHILDREN AND PREDICT ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES AND OTHER BEHAVIORAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. MIND-BODY INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS YOGA AND MEDITATION IMPROVE ATTENTION AND REDUCE STRESS. IN THIS STUDY, WE EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF HATHA YOGA ON ATTENTION AND STRESS IN NINTH GRADERS. DESIGN: A TOTAL OF 174 NINTH GRADERS FROM A TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. TEACHERS ASSIGNED STUDENTS TO A YOGA GROUP (YG) OR CONTROL GROUP (CG) BASED ON THEIR CLASS SCHEDULE. THE YG PARTICIPATED IN 25-MIN HATHA YOGA CLASSES TWICE WEEKLY OVER 12 WEEKS (N = 123). THE CG INCLUDED 51 STUDENTS. STUDENT SELF-REPORTS ON MEASURES OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY (THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF ADHD [ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER] SYMPTOMS AND NORMAL BEHAVIOR RATING SCALE FOR ADHD) AND STRESS (PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE) WERE OBTAINED AT BASELINE AND AT 12 WEEKS. RESULTS: THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN BASELINE LEVELS OF INATTENTION (P = 0.86), HYPERACTIVITY (P = 0.25), AND PERCEIVED STRESS (P = 0.28) BETWEEN THE YG AND CG. REGARDING INATTENTION SCORES, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION OF GROUP AND TIME (B = -1.09, STANDARD ERROR [SE] = 0.30, P < 0.001). PAIRWISE T-TESTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INATTENTION FOR THE YG (D = 0.27) BUT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN INATTENTION FOR THE CG. REGARDING HYPERACTIVITY, THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION OF GROUP AND TIME (B = -0.43, SE = 0.26, P = 0.1). PAIRWISE T-TESTS DEMONSTRATED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN HYPERACTIVITY FOR THE YG (D = 0.22), BUT NOT THE CG. THE INTERACTION OF GROUP AND TIME WAS NOT SIGNIFICANT IN PREDICTING THE SLOPE OF CHANGE IN PERCEIVED DISTRESS (B = -0.93, SE = 1.19, P = 0.43). PAIRWISE T-TESTS DID NOT SHOW A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PERCEIVED DISTRESS FOR EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT HATHA YOGA MAY IMPROVE ATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. 2020 2 948 48 EFFECTS OF A 6 WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING IN WOMEN SCREENING POSITIVE FOR ADULT ADHD: A PILOT STUDY. PURPOSE: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING IN ADULTS WITH ADHD SYMPTOMS. THIS PILOT STUDY SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND SELECTED PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF 6 WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING IN WOMEN SCREENING POSITIVE FOR ADULT ADHD COMPARED TO A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. METHODS: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL WAS CONDUCTED WITH 32 ADULT WOMEN (18-24 YEARS) WHO VOLUNTEERED AFTER SCREENING POSITIVE FOR ADULT ADHD AS ASSESSED BY THE ADULT ADHD SELF-REPORT SCALE (ASRS). PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO 6 WEEKS OF BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING OR TO A WAIT-LIST CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA INTERVENTION CONSISTED OF TWO 90-MIN CLASSES PER WEEK. MULTILEVEL MODELS WERE USED TO TEST HYPOTHESIZED INTERACTIONS OF YOGA-INDUCED IMPROVEMENTS COMPARED TO CONTROLS ACROSS TIME (BASELINE, 3 WEEKS, AND 6 WEEKS). THE PRIMARY OUTCOMES ASSESSED INHIBITORY CONTROL, COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY AND WORKING MEMORY USING THE NIH TOOLBOX. SEPARATE MODELS WITH TRAIT MINDFULNESS, TRAIT ANXIETY AND EXPECTATIONS FOR CHANGE IN EITHER ATTENTION OR WORKING MEMORY AS COVARIATES TESTED WHETHER THESE VARIABLES MEDIATED THE CHANGES IN THE THREE MEASURES OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED MOOD, PERCEIVED FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT AND MOTIVATION FOR, AND HYPERACTIVITY DURING, THE COGNITIVE TESTS. RESULTS: NO ADVERSE EVENTS WERE OBSERVED. ATTENDANCE AVERAGED 91.7% AMONG THE 69% OF THE SAMPLE THAT DID NOT DROPOUT. NO SIGNIFICANT GROUP X TIME INTERACTIONS WERE FOUND FOR ANY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTCOMES AND THE NULL EXECUTIVE FUNCTION FINDINGS WERE UNCHANGED WHEN INCLUDING THE COVARIATES. CONCLUSION: SIX-WEEKS OF YOGA TRAINING TWICE PER WEEK IS POTENTIALLY FEASIBLE FOR WOMEN EXPERIENCING ADHD SYMPTOMS, BUT AN EXERCISE STIMULUS OF THIS DURATION AND MAGNITUDE YIELDS NO BENEFICIAL COGNITIVE OR MOOD OUTCOMES. 2022 3 1048 55 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON ATTENTION, IMPULSIVITY, AND HYPERACTIVITY IN PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER SYMPTOMS. OBJECTIVE: BEHAVIORAL THERAPIES ARE FIRST-LINE FOR PRESCHOOLERS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD). STUDIES SUPPORT YOGA FOR SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH ADHD; THIS STUDY EVALUATED YOGA IN PRESCHOOLERS ON PARENT- AND TEACHER-RATED ATTENTION/CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS, ATTENTIONAL CONTROL (KINDER TEST OF ATTENTIONAL PERFORMANCE [KITAP]), AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). METHODS: THIS RANDOMIZED WAITLIST-CONTROLLED TRIAL TESTED A 6-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION IN PRESCHOOLERS WITH >/=4 ADHD SYMPTOMS ON THE ADHD RATING SCALE-IV PRESCHOOL VERSION. GROUP 1 (N = 12) PRACTICED YOGA FIRST; GROUP 2 (N = 11) PRACTICED YOGA SECOND. WE COLLECTED DATA AT 4 TIME POINTS: BASELINE, T1 (6 WEEKS), T2 (12 WEEKS), AND FOLLOW-UP (3 MONTHS AFTER T2). RESULTS: AT BASELINE, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS. AT T1, GROUP 1 HAD FASTER REACTION TIMES ON THE KITAP GO/NO-GO TASK (P = 0.01, 95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI], -371.1 TO -59.1, D = -1.7), FEWER DISTRACTIBILITY ERRORS OF OMISSION (P = 0.009, 95% CI, -14.2 TO -2.3, D = -1.5), AND MORE COMMISSION ERRORS (P = 0.02, 95% CI, 1.4-14.8, D = 1.3) THAN GROUP 2. CHILDREN IN GROUP 1 WITH MORE SEVERE SYMPTOMS AT BASELINE SHOWED IMPROVEMENT AT T1 VERSUS CONTROL ON PARENT-RATED STRENGTHS AND DIFFICULTIES QUESTIONNAIRE HYPERACTIVITY INATTENTION (BETA = -2.1, P = 0.04, 95% CI, -4.0 TO -0.1) AND INATTENTION ON THE ADHD RATING SCALE (BETA = -4.4, P = 0.02, 95% CI, -7.9 TO -0.9). HRV MEASURES DID NOT DIFFER BETWEEN GROUPS. CONCLUSION: YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH MODEST IMPROVEMENTS ON AN OBJECTIVE MEASURE OF ATTENTION (KITAP) AND SELECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS ON PARENT RATINGS. 2018 4 30 42 12 WEEKS OF KINDERGARTEN-BASED YOGA PRACTICE INCREASES VISUAL ATTENTION, VISUAL-MOTOR PRECISION AND DECREASES BEHAVIOR OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY IN 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. THE PRESENT STUDY ASSESSES THE IMPACT OF KINDERGARTEN-BASED YOGA ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE, VISUAL-MOTOR COORDINATION, AND BEHAVIOR OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY IN 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. IN THIS RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL, 45 CHILDREN (28 FEMALE; 17 MALE; 5.2 +/- 0.4 YEARS) PARTICIPATED. OVER 12 WEEKS, 15 CHILDREN PERFORMED HATHA-YOGA TWICE A WEEK FOR 30 MIN, ANOTHER 15 CHILDREN PERFORMED GENERIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) TWICE A WEEK FOR 30 MIN, AND 15 CHILDREN PERFORMED NO KIND OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, SERVING AS CONTROL GROUP (CG). PRIOR TO (T 0) AND AFTER 12 WEEKS (T 1), ALL PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED VISUAL ATTENTION AND VISUOMOTOR PRECISION SUBTESTS OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION BATTERY AND TEACHERS EVALUATED CHILDREN'S BEHAVIOR OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY WITH THE ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) RATING SCALE-IV. AT T 0, NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS APPEARED. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE REVEALED THAT FOLLOWING BONFERRONI-HOLM CORRECTIONS YOGA, IN COMPARISON TO PE AND CG, HAD A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT ON BEHAVIOR OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY. FURTHER, YOGA HAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT ON COMPLETION TIMES IN TWO VISUMOTOR PRECISION TASKS IN COMPARISON TO PE. FINALLY, RESULTS INDICATE A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ON VISUAL ATTENTION SCORES IN COMPARISON TO CG. 12 WEEKS OF KINDERGARTEN-BASED YOGA IMPROVES SELECTED VISUAL ATTENTION AND VISUAL-MOTOR PRECISION PARAMETERS AND DECREASES BEHAVIOR OF INATTENTION AND HYPERACTIVITY IN 5-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA REPRESENTS A SUFFICIENT AND COST-BENEFIT EFFECTIVE EXERCISE WHICH COULD ENHANCE COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL FACTORS RELEVANT FOR LEARNING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN. 2019 5 177 47 A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF MINDFULNESS VERSUS YOGA: EFFECTS ON DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DISORDERS ARE TWO OF THE MOST COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE DISORDERS ARE PREVALENT AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. OBJECTIVE: THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVENTION PRACTICES (MINDFULNESS VS. YOGA) AND A NONINTERVENTIONAL CONTROL GROUP IN MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF DEPRESSION AND/OR ANXIETY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. METHOD: A SAMPLE OF 90 STUDENTS (BOTH GENDERS) OVER AGE 18 WHO HAD A DIAGNOSIS OF ANXIETY AND/OR DEPRESSION WAS RECRUITED FROM 11,500 UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN A MID-SIZE UNIVERSITY. THE STUDY'S DESIGN INCLUDED STRATIFIED-RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED REPEATED MEASURES WITH THREE GROUPS: A MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION GROUP, A YOGA-ONLY INTERVENTION GROUP, AND A NONINTERVENTIONAL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE AFOREMENTIONED THREE GROUPS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUPS RECEIVED AN 8-WEEK TRAINING EITHER IN MINDFULNESS OR YOGA. DEPRESSIVE, ANXIETY, STRESS SYMPTOMS, SELF-COMPASSION, AND MINDFULNESS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, WEEK 4, WEEK 8, AND WEEK 12. RESULTS: DEPRESSIVE, ANXIETY, AND STRESS SYMPTOMS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < .01) FROM BASELINE TO FOLLOW-UP CONDITIONS IN BOTH THE MINDFULNESS AND YOGA INTERVENTION GROUPS. THE CHANGES IN MINDFULNESS SCORES WERE ALSO SIGNIFICANT IN BOTH GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE CHANGES IN SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANT ONLY IN THE MINDFULNESS INTERVENTION GROUP. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CONTROL GROUP WERE DEMONSTRATED. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS FROM THIS STUDY CAN PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION TO NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR A COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. 2016 6 970 38 EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM ON SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED WHETHER A YOGA EXERCISE INTERVENTION INFLUENCED THE SUSTAINED ATTENTION AND DISCRIMINATION FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD. FORTY-NINE PARTICIPANTS (MEAN AGE = 10.50 YEARS) WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE OR A CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WERE GIVEN THE VISUAL PURSUIT TEST AND DETERMINATION TEST PRIOR TO AND AFTER AN EIGHT-WEEK EXERCISE INTERVENTION (TWICE PER WEEK, 40 MIN PER SESSION) OR A CONTROL INTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCURACY RATE AND REACTION TIME OF THE TWO TESTS WERE OBSERVED OVER TIME IN THE EXERCISE GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES SUCH AS YOGA EXERCISES CAN BE COMPLEMENTARY TO BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION AND INHIBITION PROBLEMS. SCHOOLS AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH ADHD SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVES FOR MAXIMIZING THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT CHILDREN WITH ADHD CAN ENGAGE IN STRUCTURED YOGA EXERCISES. 2017 7 1062 38 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN DEPRESSED WOMEN. METHODS: THIS WAS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. TWENTY-SIX SEDENTARY WOMEN SCORING >/=14 ON THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-II WERE RANDOMIZED TO EITHER THE YOGA OR THE CONTROL GROUP. THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH TOOK PLACE TWICE A WEEK FOR 60 MIN PER SESSION AND CONSISTED OF BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA POSE PRACTICE, AND SUPINE MEDITATION/RELAXATION. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO ENGAGE IN ANY YOGA PRACTICE AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR USUAL LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THE COURSE OF THE STUDY. PARTICIPANTS' HRV, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND PERCEIVED STRESS WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND POST-TEST. RESULTS: THE YOGA GROUP HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HIGH-FREQUENCY HRV AND DECREASES IN LOW-FREQUENCY HRV AND LOW FREQUENCY/HIGH FREQUENCY RATIO AFTER THE INTERVENTION. THE YOGA GROUP ALSO REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED STRESS. NO CHANGE WAS FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS EFFECTIVE IN INCREASING PARASYMPATHETIC TONE AND REDUCING DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND PERCEIVED STRESS IN WOMEN WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR WOMEN TO COPE WITH THEIR DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND STRESS AND TO IMPROVE THEIR HRV. 2017 8 723 43 EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE FACED WITH SEVERAL STRESS FACTORS AFFECTING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. THEREFORE, THE FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY IS A PERIOD THAT CALLS FOR CAREFUL ATTENTION AND RESEARCH. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF LAUGHTER YOGA ON MENTAL SYMPTOMS AND CORTISOL LEVELS IN NURSING STUDENTS. METHODS: THIS STUDY IS A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY EMPLOYING A PRE-/POST-TEST DESIGN WITH A CONTROL GROUP. A TOTAL OF 75 HEALTHY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE ASSIGNED TO THE INTERVENTION GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY WAS APPLIED TO BOTH GROUPS BEFORE SESSION 1 AND AFTER SESSION 8. SALIVA SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE STUDENTS TO MEASURE THEIR CORTISOL LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EACH SESSION. RESULTS: EVALUATION OF THE MEAN SCORES OBTAINED FROM THE BRIEF SYMPTOM INVENTORY BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS (P < 0.05). IN THREE OUT OF THE EIGHT SESSIONS, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP REGARDING THE MEAN VALUES OF PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LAUGHTER YOGA CAN PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS TO HELP FIRST-YEAR NURSING STUDENTS COPE WITH STRESS AND REDUCE MENTAL SYMPTOMS. 2021 9 2675 33 YOGA IN PUBLIC SCHOOL IMPROVES ADOLESCENT MOOD AND AFFECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO DIRECTLY COMPARE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS VERSUS A SINGLE STANDARD PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) CLASS ON STUDENT MOOD. FORTY-SEVEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPLETED SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES ASSESSING MOOD AND AFFECT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE AND AFTER PARTICIPATING IN A SINGLE YOGA CLASS AND A SINGLE PE CLASS ONE WEEK LATER. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING PAIRED-SAMPLES T TESTS AND WILCOXON-SIGNED RANKS TESTS AND BY COMPARING EFFECT SIZES BETWEEN THE TWO CONDITIONS. PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER DECREASES IN ANGER, DEPRESSION, AND FATIGUE FROM BEFORE TO AFTER PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN NEGATIVE AFFECT OCCURRED AFTER YOGA BUT NOT AFTER PE; HOWEVER, THE CHANGES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT BETWEEN CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION, AFTER PARTICIPATING IN BOTH YOGA AND PE, PARTICIPANTS REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN CONFUSION AND TENSION, WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT SCHOOL-BASED YOGA MAY PROVIDE UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR STUDENTS ABOVE AND BEYOND PARTICIPATION IN PE. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD CONTINUE TO ELUCIDATE THE DISTINCT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATING IN YOGA COMPARED TO PE ACTIVITIES. 2015 10 1063 40 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND MOOD IN WOMEN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND MOOD IN GENERALLY HEALTHY WOMEN. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. PARTICIPANTS: FIFTY-TWO HEALTHY WOMEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A YOGA GROUP OR A CONTROL GROUP. INTERVENTIONS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM, WHICH COMPRISED A 60-MINUTE SESSION TWICE A WEEK. EACH SESSION CONSISTED OF BREATHING EXERCISES, YOGA POSE PRACTICE, AND SUPINE MEDITATION/RELAXATION. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO ENGAGE IN ANY YOGA PRACTICE AND TO MAINTAIN THEIR USUAL LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DURING THE STUDY. OUTCOME MEASURES: PARTICIPANTS' HEART RATE VARIABILITY, PERCEIVED STRESS, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE (WEEK 0) AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION (WEEK 9). RESULTS: NO MEASURES OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN EITHER THE YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP AFTER INTERVENTION. STATE ANXIETY WAS REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YOGA GROUP BUT NOT IN THE CONTROL GROUP. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE NOTED IN PERCEIVED STRESS, DEPRESSION, OR TRAIT ANXIETY IN EITHER GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: AN 8-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO IMPROVE HEART RATE VARIABILITY. HOWEVER, SUCH A PROGRAM APPEARS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING STATE ANXIETY IN GENERALLY HEALTHY WOMEN. FUTURE RESEARCH SHOULD INVOLVE LONGER PERIODS OF YOGA TRAINING, INCLUDE HEART RATE VARIABILITY MEASURES BOTH AT REST AND DURING YOGA PRACTICE, AND ENROLL WOMEN WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF STRESS AND TRAIT ANXIETY. 2015 11 1700 42 PARTICIPATION IN A 10-WEEK COURSE OF YOGA IMPROVES BEHAVIOURAL CONTROL AND DECREASES PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN A PRISON POPULATION. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MEDITATION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ALLEVIATING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS AND PSYCHIATRIC POPULATIONS. RECENT WORK HAS ALSO INDICATED THAT YOGA CAN IMPROVE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONTROLLED STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA IN A PRISON POPULATION, WE REASONED THAT YOGA COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN A SETTING WHERE PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING IS OFTEN LOW, AND THE FREQUENCY OF IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS IS HIGH. METHODS: PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM 7 BRITISH PRISONS AND RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER A 10-WEEK YOGA PROGRAMME (YOGA GROUP; 1 CLASS PER WEEK; N = 45) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 55). SELF-REPORT MEASURES OF MOOD, STRESS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK (GO/NO-GO) AT THE END OF THE STUDY, WHICH ASSESSED BEHAVIOURAL RESPONSE INHIBITION AND SUSTAINED ATTENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED INCREASED SELF-REPORTED POSITIVE AFFECT, AND REDUCED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS, COMPARED TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. PARTICIPANTS WHO COMPLETED THE YOGA COURSE ALSO SHOWED BETTER PERFORMANCE IN THE COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL TASK, MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER ERRORS OF OMISSION IN GO TRIALS AND FEWER ERRORS OF COMMISSION ON NO-GO TRIALS, COMPARED TO CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN IMPROVING SUBJECTIVE WELLBEING, MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING WITHIN PRISON POPULATIONS. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION GIVEN THE CONSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MORBIDITY IN THIS GROUP AND THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES. 2013 12 60 33 A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAS A POSITIVE EFFECT ON PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. METHODS: FIFTY-ONE PARTICIPANTS AGED MEAN (SD) 25.6 (5.7) YEARS WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS: HATHA YOGA GROUP, RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP AND CONTROL GROUP. THE HATHA YOGA GROUP AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP PARTICIPATED IN SESSIONS THREE DAYS PER WEEK FOR 7 WEEKS AND THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY SESSIONS. ALL THE SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED THROUGH THE ROSENBERG SELF-ESTEEM SCALE, BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY, BODY CATHEXIS SCALE, NOTTINGHAM HEALTH PROFILE AND VISUAL ANALOG SCALE FOR FATIGUE PRE-AND POST-SESSION. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN TERMS OF ALL OUTCOME MEASURES IN THE HATHA YOGA GROUP AND THE RESISTANCE EXERCISE GROUP. NO IMPROVEMENTS WERE FOUND IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HATHA YOGA MORE IMPROVED THE DIMENSIONS FATIGUE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE, WHILST RESISTANCE EXERCISE TRAINING MORE IMPROVED BODY IMAGE. HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE DECREASED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AT A SIMILAR LEVEL. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE HAD POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN SEDENTARY ADULTS. HATHA YOGA AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE MAY AFFECT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. 2014 13 2352 34 USING YOGA TO REDUCE ANXIETY IN CHILDREN: EXPLORING SCHOOL-BASED YOGA AMONG RURAL THIRD- AND FOURTH-GRADE STUDENTS. INTRODUCTION: ANXIETY IS BECOMING MORE COMMON IN CHILDREN AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE IMPACT OF 10 MIN OF YOGA ON ANXIETY IN THIRD- AND FOURTH-GRADERS OVER 8 WEEKS. METHOD: PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 10 MIN OF YOGA DAILY DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED THE SCREEN FOR CHILD ANXIETY RELATED EMOTIONAL DISORDERS ANXIETY SCREENING TOOL AT THE BEGINNING AND AFTER THE PROGRAM. RESULTS: PAIRED SAMPLE T TEST NOTED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRETEST AND POSTTEST RAW SCORES IN THE CATEGORY OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER. ON AVERAGE, PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED RAW ANXIETY SCORES AFTER COMPLETING THE PROGRAM (MEAN=-0.0308), T(60)=-3.137, P < .05. DISCUSSION: THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT YOGA PRACTICED AS LITTLE AS 10 MIN A DAY OVER 8 WEEKS CAN HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON DECREASING ANXIETY IN CHILDREN AGED 8-10 YEARS. 2021 14 159 40 A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL OF YOGA AND RELAXATION TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. OBJECTIVE: TO COMPARE YOGA AND RELAXATION AS TREATMENT MODALITIES AT 10 AND 16 WEEKS FROM STUDY BASELINE TO DETERMINE IF EITHER OF MODALITY REDUCES SUBJECT STRESS, ANXIETY, BLOOD PRESSURE AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. DESIGN: A RANDOMISED COMPARATIVE TRIAL WAS UNDERTAKEN COMPARING YOGA WITH RELAXATION. PARTICIPANTS: ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-ONE SUBJECTS WITH MILD TO MODERATE LEVELS OF STRESS WERE RECRUITED FROM THE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. INTERVENTIONS: TEN WEEKLY 1- H SESSIONS OF RELAXATION OR HATHA YOGA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGES IN THE STATE TRAIT PERSONALITY INVENTORY SUB-SCALE ANXIETY, GENERAL HEALTH QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE SHORT FORM-36. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 10 WEEK INTERVENTION STRESS, ANXIETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE SCORES IMPROVED OVER TIME. YOGA WAS FOUND TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS RELAXATION IN REDUCING STRESS, ANXIETY AND IMPROVING HEALTH STATUS ON SEVEN DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. YOGA WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN RELAXATION IN IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH. AT THE END OF THE 6 WEEK FOLLOW-UP PERIOD THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS IN LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY AND ON FIVE DOMAINS OF THE SF-36. VITALITY, SOCIAL FUNCTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SCORES ON THE SF-36 WERE HIGHER IN THE RELAXATION GROUP DURING THE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. CONCLUSION: YOGA APPEARS TO PROVIDE A COMPARABLE IMPROVEMENT IN STRESS, ANXIETY AND HEALTH STATUS COMPARED TO RELAXATION. 2007 15 290 46 ADJUNCTIVE YOGA V. HEALTH EDUCATION FOR PERSISTENT MAJOR DEPRESSION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. BACKGROUND: THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER HATHA YOGA IS AN EFFICACIOUS ADJUNCTIVE INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CONTINUED DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DESPITE ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT. METHOD: WE CONDUCTED A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES (N = 63) V. HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES (HEALTHY LIVING WORKSHOP; HLW; N = 59) IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ELEVATED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION USE. HLW SERVED AS AN ATTENTION-CONTROL GROUP. THE INTERVENTION PERIOD WAS 10 WEEKS, WITH FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS 3 AND 6 MONTHS AFTERWARDS. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME WAS DEPRESSION SYMPTOM SEVERITY ASSESSED BY BLIND RATER AT 10 WEEKS. SECONDARY OUTCOMES INCLUDED DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER THE ENTIRE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIODS, SOCIAL AND ROLE FUNCTIONING, GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS, PAIN, AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING. RESULTS: AT 10 WEEKS, WE DID NOT FIND A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROUPS IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS (B = -0.82, S.E. = 0.88, P = 0.36). HOWEVER, OVER THE ENTIRE INTERVENTION AND FOLLOW-UP PERIOD, WHEN CONTROLLING FOR BASELINE, YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED LOWER LEVELS OF DEPRESSION THAN HLW PARTICIPANTS (B = -1.38, S.E. = 0.57, P = 0.02). AT 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP, 51% OF YOGA PARTICIPANTS DEMONSTRATED A RESPONSE (50% REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS) COMPARED WITH 31% OF HLW PARTICIPANTS (ODDS RATIO = 2.31; P = 0.04). YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER SOCIAL AND ROLE FUNCTIONING AND GENERAL HEALTH PERCEPTIONS OVER TIME. CONCLUSIONS: ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT SEE A DIFFERENCE IN DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AT THE END OF THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, YOGA PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS OVER THE ENTIRE FOLLOW-UP PERIOD. BENEFITS OF YOGA MAY ACCUMULATE OVER TIME. 2017 16 731 37 EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS YOGA ON DEPRESSION SEVERITY, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN. BACKGROUND: WE AIMED TO CONDUCT A MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM TO TREAT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF MIDDLE-AGED MEN BY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF A MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM ON DEPRESSION, SELF-ESTEEM, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS POPULATION. METHODS: THE PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 50 MIDDLE-AGED MEN (AGED 40-60 YR) LIVING IN SEONGNAM-SI, KOREA. TWENTY-FIVE MEN WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP AND 25 WERE ASSIGNED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. THE MINDFULNESS YOGA PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED TWICE A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS, AND EACH SESSION LASTED APPROXIMATELY 75 MIN. BEFORE THE FIRST SESSION, A PRE-TEST WAS CONDUCTED, AFTER WHICH THE PROGRAM BEGAN. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED AFTER THE 4TH, 8TH, AND 12TH WEEKS OF THE PROGRAM, AND THE CONTROL GROUP UNDERWENT PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AT THE SAME TIME POINTS. A TWO-WAY (2 X 4) REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS CONDUCTED, AND WHEN THE INTERACTION EFFECT WAS SIGNIFICANT, A POST-HOC TEST (BONFERRONI) WAS PERFORMED. RESULTS: IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP, DEPRESSION SEVERITY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED (P<0.001) AND SELF-ESTEEM SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED (P<0.01). FURTHERMORE, THE INTERVENTION GROUP ALSO SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PSYCHOLOGICAL (P<0.001), SOCIAL (P<0.001), AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE (P<0.001) AMONG THE SUB-DIMENSIONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE. CONCLUSION: MIDDLE-AGED MEN SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE USEFULNESS OF MINDFULNESS YOGA AND ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH PROGRAMS. MINDFULNESS YOGA MAY BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT STRATEGY THAT PROMOTES THE NATURAL HEALING AND MANAGEMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES FACED BY MIDDLE-AGED MEN. 2021 17 2651 34 YOGA IMPROVES BALANCE, MOBILITY, AND PERCEIVED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: THIS WAS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION TO INVESTIGATE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF GROUP YOGA, AS PAST WORK HAS INDICATED THAT ONE-ON-ONE YOGA CAN IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL DEFICITS IN ADULTS WITH BRAIN INJURY. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARTICIPANTS SERVED AS THEIR OWN CONTROLS. NINE PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY WERE RECRUITED, AND SEVEN (FOUR FEMALE) COMPLETED THE STUDY. PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF BALANCE AND MOBILITY AND SELF-REPORTED MEASURES OF BALANCE CONFIDENCE, PAIN, AND OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION WERE USED. DATA WERE COLLECTED 3 TIMES: BASELINE (STUDY ONSET), PRE-YOGA (AFTER AN 8-WEEK NO-CONTACT PERIOD), AND POST-YOGA (AFTER 8 WEEKS OF YOGA). GROUP YOGA WAS LED BY A YOGA INSTRUCTOR/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, AND SESSIONS LASTED 1 H AND OCCURRED TWICE A WEEK. RESULTS: NO PARTICIPANTS WITHDREW DUE TO ADVERSE EFFECTS FROM YOGA. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES BETWEEN BASELINE AND PRE-YOGA. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WAS OBSERVED POST-YOGA IN BALANCE (P = 0.05), MOBILITY (P = 0.03), AND SELF-REPORTED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: WE OBSERVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BALANCE, MOBILITY, AND SELF-REPORTED OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC BRAIN INJURY. 2020 18 2398 35 YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE AND SELF-COMPASSION IN FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE PRACTICE OF YOGA IN COMBINATION WITH COMPASSION MEDITATION ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE, ATTENTION, VITALITY AND SELF-COMPASSION OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 46 VOLUNTEERS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO TWO GROUPS, THE YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM GROUP (N = 25), AND THE CONTROL GROUP (CG) THAT RECEIVED NO TREATMENT (N = 21). THE PROGRAM LASTED 8 WEEKS, AND COMPRISED THREE YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICES PER WEEK, WITH EACH SESSION LASTING 1 H AND 15 MIN. QUALITY OF LIFE, ATTENTION, VITALITY, AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES WERE MEASURED PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: THE YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM GROUP SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS (P < 0.05) ON QUALITY OF LIFE, ATTENTION, VITALITY AND SELF-COMPASSION SCORES AS COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL GROUP, WHICH SHOWED NO STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AT THE POSTINTERVENTION TIME-POINT. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS OF THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGEST THAT AN 8-WEEK YOGA AND COMPASSION MEDITATION PROGRAM CAN IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, VITALITY, ATTENTION, AND SELF-COMPASSION OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE PATIENTS. GERIATR GERONTOL INT 2017; 17: 85-91. 2017 19 1616 41 MINDFUL AWARENESS FOR FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS THROUGH YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION. OBJECTIVE: ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF YOGA, MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS, AND A COMBINATION OF TWO ON STRESS REDUCTION IN FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY DESIGN IS A NONRANDOMIZED TRIAL CARRIED OUT AMONG FEMALE DENTAL STUDENTS (N = 120). THE SELECTED SUBJECTS WERE ALLOCATED INTO THREE GROUPS, NAMELY, GROUP A: YOGA GROUP ASSIGNED UNDER A PROFESSIONAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR, GROUP B: MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO GROUP, AND GROUP C: A COMBINATION OF TWO (A AND B) INVOLVING YOGA SESSIONS AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS; FOLLOWING WHICH FORMATIVE EXAMINATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT AT 6 WEEKS WHICH WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 1 AND THOSE CARRIED OUT AT 12 WEEKS WERE REFERRED TO AS STRESSOR 2. USING SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY FOR ADULTS (STAI-A) RECORDINGS WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE, STRESSOR 1, AND STRESSOR 2. RESULTS: THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN TRAIT ANXIETY SCORES AT BOTH STRESSORS IN ALL THE GROUPS WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN DEPRESSION SCORE FROM STRESSOR 1 TO 2 IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS. THE SIGNIFICANT DECREASE OCCURRED IN STAI-A SCORES IN GROUP 1 AND GROUP 3 SUBJECTS AT BOTH STRESSORS (P < 0.001) WITH NO CHANGE OBSERVED IN GROUP 2 SUBJECTS. CONCLUSION: THE PRESENT STUDY IS ONE OF A KIND AND POSITIVELY CORRELATES YOGA AND MOTIVATIONAL VIDEOS WITH STRESS REDUCTION. BOTH OF THESE INTERVENTIONS PROVED TO BE BENEFICIARY FOR PHYSICAL AS WELL AS MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDY SUBJECTS. 2020 20 2089 29 THE EFFECT OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON AFFECT, CORTISOL AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. PERINATAL DEPRESSION IMPACTS MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. THE EFFECTS OF PRENATAL HATHA YOGA ON CORTISOL, AFFECT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE INVESTIGATED IN 51 WOMEN. TWICE DURING PREGNANCY, YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS REPORTED ON AFFECT AND PROVIDED A SALIVA SAMPLE BEFORE AND AFTER A 90-MIN PRENATAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. CORRESPONDING MEASURES WERE OBTAINED FROM YOGA AND CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS ON DAYS OF USUAL ACTIVITY. DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS WERE ASSESSED IN PREGNANCY AND POST PARTUM. CORTISOL WAS LOWER (P < .01) AND POSITIVE AFFECT HIGHER (P < .001) ON YOGA COMPARED TO USUAL ACTIVITY DAYS. NEGATIVE AFFECT AND CONTENTMENT (P < .05) IMPROVED MORE IN RESPONSE TO THE YOGA SESSION. YOGA GROUP PARTICIPANTS SHOWED FEWER POSTPARTUM (P < .05) BUT NOT ANTEPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS THAN CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPANTS. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PRENATAL HATHA YOGA MAY IMPROVE CURRENT MOOD AND MAY BE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING POSTPARTUM DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS. 2014